Placencia Village Council Faces Financial Crunch After Trade License Delay

The Placencia Village Council says it’s been dealt a major financial blow after the government decided to delay the Trade License Act. The council had been counting on those trade license revenues to fund community projects, but now, with the Briceño administration’s decision, they’re scrambling to make ends meet. For a tourism hotspot that brings in big tax dollars for the country, the lack of support raises serious questions about fairness and priorities. Vice Chair Brice Dial shared more with us.

 

Brice Dial, Vice Chair, Placencia Village

“Recently it was put on the news that now the government is retracting the roll out of trade license fees, and I am sure I am speaking for villages across the country, but I know I am speaking for Placencia. When we were told those trade license fees would be trickling in and from our understanding it would be early 2026, we started to look at our finances and determine what projects we could start and take up. So, we initiated a Placencia Porud Project where we have a team of guys out every day cleaning the village because the high season was coming and people were complaining that the village was filthy, and tourists were complaining about it. So, we took up that project with the understanding and belief in the government that the trade license fee money would be coming in. Otherwise, the only money we receive is a kick back from the liquor license fees but even though liquor licenses are renewed in January, we don’t see that money from June. So, besides the lobster fest, which is our main fundraiser, we don’t have any other money coming in. And for a community that is one of the biggest tax generators in the country because of tourism, I am not saying that every community should not receive help, but when you are dealing with communities like Placencia, Hopkins, San Pedro, Caye Caulker, San Ignacio, are literally the bread and butter of this country because of the tax generated from tourism and we are not seeing any of that money trickle back into the community. It is not as if we want to come across as ungrateful, because they did a road upgrade last year around this time and that was much needed. There is a project going on with a study for beach erosion and we are getting some funding for that. We are grateful for that, but at the same time there are things on the ground that we need assistance for, especially if we are not going to get trade license money coming in.”